To increase the capacity of media stakeholders to collaborate across the divide, and to lay the foundations for the development of a collaborative media platform in Cyprus.

Background:

The two main communities in Cyprus have been separated for more than 35 years with both sides having their media institutions which communicate in two different languages, Greek and Turkish. Currently, there is no intercommunal news agency or formal structure for the media from each community to exchange information and ideas and produce joint content. Although this happens with some journalists on a personal level it is not institutionalised. Apart from some joint training sessions and a few media web portals which no longer exist, there has never been a large scale initiative to provide a framework for how the media systems of each side can harmonize and work together.

This media polarisation further contributes to the lack of understanding and acceptance between the communities. Limited or unbalanced coverage of reconciliation issues in the mainstream media, coupled with the limited capacity of local civil society to have an impact via the mainstream media, indicates a strong need for improving the way the media systems work with each other and with civil society.

Programme Activities:

Establish a Working Group composed of local media and civil society representatives that will advocate for the project and engage key stakeholders in the process

Map existing collaboration between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot media and identify gaps in the field

Organise mono- and inter-communal stakeholder discussion panels to explore the opportunities for media collaboration in Cyprus

Organise a forum where local experiences of media collaboration can be shared and discussed alongside international experiences in other conflict/post-conflict zones

Publication of a final report on media collaboration in Cyprus with consolidated recommendations for future action